Efforts directed at improving air quality and increasing energy production from renewable resources have resulted in renewed interest in alternative fuels, such as 2-butanol, that might replace gasoline and diesel fuel. Efforts are currently underway to increase the efficiency of 2-butanol production by fermentative microorganisms utilizing carbon sources from renewable feedstocks, such as corn waste and sugar cane bagasse, however these technologies have not yet been commercialized.
It is known that 2,3-butanediol (“BDO”) can be converted to methylethylketone (“MEK”) by heating BDO in the presence of a catalyst (Emerson, R. R., et al (Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev. (1982) 21:473-477); Bucsi, I., et al (Tetrahedron (1994) 50:8195-8202). It has independently been shown that substantially pure MEK can be converted to 2-butanol by reacting MEK with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst (Nystrom, R. F. and Brown, W. G. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1947) 69:1198). The present invention provides an improved process for producing 2-butanol directly from BDO using a heterogeneous catalyst system.